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"Work related Murder": A phrase I think we will become very familiar with in the coming weeks.
The tragedy that is unfolding in Soma, where at least 200 miners are dead and many more unaccounted for, is heartbreaking. I can't write anything upbeat about Turkey while so many families are suffering. Year after year, honest, hardworking men lose their lives earning the minimum wage, making vast profits for the fat cats, who have no respect for the safety of their work force. Not just in mining, I see this abuse every day in Bodrum. Construction workers on unsafe scaffolding, not a hard hat between them, as lumps of concrete crash down and not a minute spent on safety education. How many more have to be poisoned, crushed, gassed, electrocuted and burnt as they work before lessons are learnt. Flags may be flying at half mast all over Turkey but what use is that to the widows and fatherless children.
B to B, We couldn't have said it better. What a terrible, terrible catastrophe and all for the benefit of the few who have nothing but contempt for those who make their profits.
ReplyDeleteContempt is the right word - I'm beyond words now with the hopelessness of the situation.
DeleteWell put, Annie. It's a terrible tragedy, and part of that tragedy is that it's only 20 years or so since a similar major mining accident. What you describe feels Victorian to me here on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI've just read these statistics in the BBC website which back up everything you've written.:
Delete"On average, more than seven miners die in Turkey every year because of workplace accidents for every million tonnes of excavated coal, according to a report by the Economic Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV).
This death toll eclipses that of China, where just over one miner is killed per million tonnes, TEPAV says.
The foundation puts the figure for the US even lower, with 0.02 miners killed for every million tonnes of coal excavated."
About 4 people die every day in Turkey at work ! It's murder!
DeleteSuch a tragedy. I hate it that people in the UK have forgotten ( and some of the youngsters never knew) how important unionisation was to improve working conditions. Awful, awful news from Turkey.
ReplyDeleteLife is cheap - unfortunately both the bosses and the workers accept this.
DeleteI agree. Nothing new here.
ReplyDeleteI my time here I've seen signs going up extolling good work practices but no one takes a blind bit of notice.
DeleteSuch a dreadful tragedy...and then Erdogan compares it to 19th century working conditions in England!
ReplyDeleteIs that supposed to be an excuse....if so it doesn't wash.
He has completely lost the plot.
DeleteHe certainly has. It is all extremely distressing.
DeleteWell said Annie. I hope those emigreys who cite Turkey's total lack of respect for health and safety as a 'breath of fresh air' are hanging their heads in shame.
ReplyDeleteIt upsets me so much that someone has to risk their life to earn enough to set.
DeleteWell said and in a nutshell. Can the universe speak any louder against he who must be obeyed?
ReplyDeleteHe is impervious to any criticism.
DeleteAgree to it. Some discussions will take place, some "safety measures" will be promised and soon we will be back to square one. Its the same story all over the world.
ReplyDeleteThat you for joining me Haddock - Some countries have got their act together. Unfortunately not this one.
DeleteSo very sad, the human life is so cheap, in this day and age, just unacceptable.. how I wished everyone unite as one and stand up for the rights, so very sad.. You couldn't have said better.
ReplyDeleteShameful pictures on the front of the world's press and our great leader still hasn't the grace to apologise.
DeleteI'm glad you wrote this post because I intended to post something, but didn't know where to start. This tragic loss of life makes me so angry because it is so unnecessary. At the end of the day as always in this country, it's about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. With this bloody awful man in power, what chance is there of change.
ReplyDeleteNo chance.
DeleteThis kind of tragedy will only stop when the decision makers stop turning a blind eye to those who put profit before human life and dignity. All too often governments make a lot of noise about their values yet never apply them and quietly allow employers to underpay, mistreat and even endanger their employees... Well done for speaking out.
ReplyDeleteOur government doesn't even make a pretence of caring.
DeleteThe adoption of Health and Safety culture is rarely high on the agenda of employers if they can get around it. Sadly there are also governments around the world who either do not wish to legislate to adopt or would prefer to legislate to reduce regulations and standards. It is blood on their hands, but labour is cheap and plentiful, such blood is on the hands of more than one regime around the globe.
ReplyDeleteThe callous disregard of human life is shocking, as is the disrespect towards those who are in shock at the loss of loved ones. It is this I find the most disturbing.
Don't know if you do Facebook but some of the girls on the Istanbul page have actually been threatened by AKP creeps!!! Because they posted some info about Soma, no special comments, but nonetheless, they were rung up and of course are now really scared.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long we will have access
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to know about this tragedy. It is important for workers to know about health an safety relating to work, it will help them in practice of eliminating an reducing occupational hazards, implementing training to ensure employees are trained on the hazards of the job, so that no mishap will occurs in future.
ReplyDeleteRegard
Arnold Brame
UK Health and Safety Consultant.
Thanks for stopping by. Unfortunately there are very few employers who insist on safety measures and many more who are keener to cut costs than save lives.
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